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PFAS which include the PFOA that was found in Hoosick Falls water, is also turning out be used in pesticide containers.

Documents show that Norlite had been accepting toxic PFAS and firefighting foam earlier than previously thought.

ALBANY — The state is moving forward on efforts to further regulate chemicals allowed in public water systems, including those that were discovered to have polluted supplies in Hoosick Falls for decades.

Among them are what’s known as PFAS, or or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. 

While the family of chemicals has been widely used in fabric waterproofing, fire suppression foam and non-stick cookware, only recently have efforts been taken to further regulate the risk, which are associated with illnesses — even in trace amounts.

The new rules would join new regulations implemented in 2020 requiring reductions of the two categories of PFAS of highest concern: PFOA and PFOS, chemicals that slowly break down in the environment. 

The state Department of Health on Oct. 5 launched a 60-day public review and comment period on proposed regulations for a total of 23 of what authorities describe as “emerging contaminants” in drinking water.

Officials cast the proposed new regulations as a nation-leading initiative. 

“New Yorkers should know that their drinking water is among the most protected in the country,” state Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said in a statement.

Known as “forever chemicals,” the synthetic compounds can remain in the human bloodstream for years and are associated with illnesses such as thyroid disorders and cancers.

PFOS garnered local and national attention in 2014 when high levels were discovered in the Hoosick Falls water supply. Residents were found to have elevated levels in their blood, although those levels fell after water filters were added and the community began to reconfigure its water supply.

The proposed new state regulations would set new drinking water standards, or maximum contaminant levels for four additional PFAS, requiring public water systems to reduce levels under the outlined requirements. 

Many PFAS have been phased out although they still appear in some products. 

PFAS have also been used in Aqueous Film Forming Foam used in firefighting foam, which is being phased out by most firefighting organizations.

Barrels, however, remain in storage across the country and until recently, the Norlite aggregate plant in Cohoes had been incinerating the materials. State Department of Environmental Conservation data has revealed more than 2 million pounds of the foam were burned at Norlite in 2018 and 2019 after being shipped in from elsewhere.

The state Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against Norlite earlier this week in an unrelated case, accusing the company of breaking state laws and failing to protect the health and safety of neighboring residents driven from their homes by dust from its operations.

The rules would also outline new standards for testing, reporting and public notification.

The state in 2020 set new limits on PFOA and PFOS, regulations that required water systems to start a testing process.

Yet the new rules allowed for a deferral process under which water systems previously tested for PFOS and PFOA can proactively test for contaminant levels and avoid getting violation notices if they need time to better filter their water.

The new suite of proposed regulations can be viewed at dos.ny.gov/state-register. The public will have until Dec. 5 to review and comment. Health officials will review submitted comments, develop responses and propose a final rule for the state’s Public Health and Health Planning Council to consider for formal adoption.

Pete DeMola is a breaking news and current trends reporter. He also covers the city of Schenectady and its suburbs. He previously reported for the Daily Gazette and Sun Community News in the Adirondacks where he won multiple awards for his investigative reporting. DeMola also spent a half-decade in Beijing where he covered pop culture for several publications and social media companies. He also worked for a record label. He's a 2005 graduate of Syracuse University. You can reach him at pete.demola@timesunion.com.